The Unexpected
by razorREO
Summary: Chance Furlong never could have predicted that fateful disaster that occured in a simple, everyday alley near his home. Now his world is rocked. Between going through life as an orphan in a foster home, and caring for his little sister, Chance fights to become a kat who can defend his city, a fight that will train him to later become an Enforcer, and eventually, a swat kat.
1. The Alley

**The votes came close. Two other stories came to four votes, but this one hit five. So here it is! **

Rain dripped from the buildings and poured softly in the streets. Chance and Jake walked faster. The rain was chilly and made them shiver as they were slowly soaked. Chance uttered a few choice words through his chattering teeth as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"When did it get so cold?!" He snapped at no one in particular. Jake shrugged, warm and snug in his thick black coat.

"If you wore a jacket like I suggested-"

"-Oh shut it..." Chance mumbled. The two turned down an alley and proceeded towards the end. The rain fell softer here. Chance still shuddered. Why did this place look so familiar?

"You _did_ ask, bud." Jake replied. He didn't hear a response. Chance had fallen behind. Jake looked back to see him standing stiffly in the alley.

"Chance? What gives?" He asked, coming up to him. He stopped, the goof-ball grin on his face diminishing. There was a look of frozen horror on Chance's face. Jake suddenly felt concern grip him like a glove.

"Bud? You okay, pal?" He asked, his voice wavering. Chance was shaking now, and not from the cold. Flash-backs went off like bombs in his mind. His eyes were wide and rimmed with tears. Then he seemed to snap back to reality. He clenched his eyes shut, shaking his head.

"I'm okay...it was...just a nightmare..." I muttered, pushing past Jake.

"Let's get home before I freeze my tail off..."

_"Let go of her!" Chance screamed. His voice was drowned out by the fearful screams of his mother. He charged at the attacker who held the she-kat in his claws. The ebony kat turned on him and revealed a sharp blade of a knife. Swiftly his put it to the she-kat's throat._

_"Ah, ah, ah. Not another step, or she gets it!" The kat growled. Chance halted, his sneakers sliding a bit on the slick pavement of the alley. _

_"I said, let her go!" _

_"Why? Why don't you make me?" The cruel kat said, grinning. He slid the blade of the knife along the she-kat's delicate throat. Chance growled, throwing himself at the kat._

_"Leave her alone!" _

_The kat turned around, bringing his heavy fist with him. His fist struck Chance's forehead, knocking him down. Chance dropped to the pavement, grimacing painfully as he gripped his forehead with both hands. He gasped, discovering blood smeared on his fingers. The kat sneered._

_"There's a stiff penalty for disobedience!" He laughed. Chance looked up, his eyes widening in horror. The knife in the evil kat's hand flashed before his eyes. The sharp blade tore in front of him. Chance thought he'd been missed. Then he leaned foreword to sit up and felt the pain. It was agony. His arms clutched himself tightly as blood gushed from the deep slashes that had he'd gained to his torso in a split second that the knife had flashed. He dropped to the pavement._

_Then he heard a scream..._

Jake applied the brakes so fast that Chance was snapped out of his flash-back and nearly thrown headlong into the dashboard.

"Darn this stupid light! It always turns red just before you get to the crossing!" Jake shouted. Rain splattered the windshield and reminded Chance that he wasn't reliving that horrible nightmare anymore. They had found their truck ten minutes ago where he'd been able to park it earlier.

Now Chance moved closer to the heat vent, hoping to dry his wet clothes.

"What do you keep daydreaming about, buddy? You've been off somewhere in la-la land ever since we went through that alley." Jake stated. Chance's hand clenched the edge of the seat.

"N-nothing. Why does it matter?" He relied, not facing him.

"I dunno. It's just...it's weird, with you not saying much." Jake replied. Chance hadn't even felt like driving, a great phenomenon. Now Jake turned the wheel and steered the tow truck onto the dirt road.

Chance didn't feel like replying. He didn't know what to say. The tow truck arrived at the Salvage Yard and stopped. The two climbed out.

"Thanks goodness the rain finally let up." Jake noted, turning to Chance. Chance was standing with a hand resting on the hood of the truck. His eyes stared blankly at the wet ground.

"Buddy...what the heck is wrong...?" Jake asked, taking Chance's arm. Chance just shook his head and strode into the garage.

"C'mon. Let's get into some dry clothes." Jake suggested. The two trudged single file through the waiting room to the stair case that led to the bedroom upstairs. The second floor consisted of a bathroom, a closet, and a bedroom.

Chance pushed open the bedroom door. Inside were two beds on either side of the room. One, on the right was neatly made up and tidy. The one on the left hadn't been made up and blankets spilled off of it.

Chance went over to the left one and sank down onto it with a sigh. He kicked his work shoes off into the corner. Jake gave him a concerned glance. Chance was usually loud and boisterous. What the heck was wrong with him? Jake watched through fogged eyes as he took his own shoes off and placed them neatly side by side under his bed.

He didn't mean to stare. He usually didn't, but anything Chance did could give Jake a lead into what was wrong. Chance lifted his soaked red shirt over his head and tossed it into the laundry basket on the door. Jake blinked, not sure exactly what he was seeing.

"Chance. Hold still a second." He called, getting up.

"What? What is it?" Chance demanded, flinching as Jake reached out and put a cold hand on his stomach.

"Where the heck did you get these scars?" Jake asked in astonishment. Chance gasped suddenly at him and stepped back.

"I-it's nothing. Just forget about it." He snapped, sitting on the bed.

Jake raised a brow, looking surprised.

"Buddy, you know you can tell me anything..." He told him. Chance raised his brown eyes to look up at Jake. Jake saw anguish in his best friend's eyes. His heart skipped a beat.

"Somebody hurt you, buddy..." He told him. Chance just looked down at the floor, his eyes slipping closed.

"Buddy...?" Jake asked. When Chance looked up again his eyes were wet with tears.

"So...you wanna talk about it?" Jake asked, sitting on the bed beside him. Chance shrugged.

"You don't have to go into detail...I'll understand..." Jake told him. Chance let out a heavy sigh. Lightning flashed outside the window.

"Okay...I'll tell you..."

**Review, favorite, follow, do what you want. Thank you to everybody who participated in the poll. This the story that won, obviously. Hope you enjoyed it so far. **


	2. Revealing the Truth

_Chance looked up, his head spinning. His eyes were wide in horror as they stared at the bloody knife the evil kat raised from his mother's lifeless body. He screamed, his voice a dull roar._

_"No!" _

_The evil kat turned to him and struck him down with a fierce blow to the head. Chance dropped to the ground again like a rock and lay there motionless. That was the last he remembered. _

"Hey, buddy...you...zoned out on me again..." Jake was saying. Chance blinked. He turned to Jake, sitting beside him. Thunder rumbled and was followed by more lightning.

"Okay...okay..." Chance replied. This wasn't something he liked to recall.

"...I guess...I should start off with..." He began, breaking into another sigh. Where should he begin? He didn't even want to begin. He guessed it was time to suck it up and tell somebody what had happened. He'd gone seven years without telling anyone anything about it. Now he was breaking that silence.

_Here goes nothing..._

"I was fifteen. I was coming back from football practice. I met my mom in an alley on the way back. 'Don't even know what she was doing out there that late. Anyway, we...started arguing...and suddenly this guy came outta nowhere..."

_The shady figure detached himself from the dark walls of the alley, a grin smearing across his almost-hidden face. Chance stopped in his tracks as his mother's arm crossed in front of him. _

_In an icy chill of a voice the stranger hissed, "You two will _die_ here!" _

_Chance stepped around his mother's arm to block her from danger, barring the stranger's path to her. This stranger sure picked the wrong kat to mess with. He let his claws slip from his fingertips. _

_"Go ahead and try it!" He shouted. The stranger simply chuckled in a deranged way that made a weird shiver of fear ricochet down Chance's spine. Chance stood his ground, digging his claws into his palms. _

_"Oh I will..." The stranger growled. So fast that Chance barely saw it, the stranger dove at him. Chance moved to defend. A fist slipped beneath his blocking arm and slugged him in the chest. As he keeled over the stranger planted his boot against his back and thrust him down. Chance caught himself in a push-up position. Lifting himself up with both arms he swung his hips and glazed the stranger with his sneaker._

_The stranger growled, stepping back. He fixed his glowing amber eyes on Chance and sprang at him, claws free. Chance rolled out of the way, but the stranger was expecting this. The minute he slapped the pavement he leaped up and drove his fist into Chance's shoulder. _

_Mrs Furlong cried out in fear as her son grimaced. The stranger hit him over and over relentlessly until Chance finally took control. With a painful motion he pivoted to the left and kicked the stranger down._

_The stranger leaped back up so fast that Chance barely had time to react before the heavy black boot the stranger wore crashed against his forehead. The alley spun like a top. Chance dropped to the ground and didn't move. The stranger grabbed the frightened she-kat and pressed the knife to her throat..._

"Let go of her!"...

"Hey, buddy. This 'drifting-off' thing is getting old..." Jake's voice brought Chance back around. Chance blinked, turning his head to find Jake still there. How long had he been lapsed out?

"Sorry, buddy. Okay...where was I?" He replied, searching his racing mind. All he could see was that evil kat's dark figure and the horrible roar of his own voice as he screamed.

"This guy came out of nowhere. 'That the guy that attacked you?" Jake asked. Chance gave a numb nod.

"So...what happened after that...?" Jake urged him on.

_"I'll finish you later, brat!" The stranger shouted, abandoning the two bleeding bodies to lie in the alley. Sirens wailed in the distance. Chance couldn't move, nor did he want to. Everything hurt. He could feel the blood gushing out of him. He shivered as he grew cold. The bright blue and red lights flashed outside the alley._

"He...attacked us, killed my mom...tried to kill me, but the Enforcers showed up before he could finish me off." Chance replied, but it was deeper than that. Deeper than a physical scar. He'd only been a young teen with naive plans and a school-life.

Jake turned his eyes to the floor in sober respect. Chance was only a few months older than he was, but Jake suddenly felt like experience outweighed those odds.

"I'm sorry..." Was all Jake could say. Chance shrugged, but that wasn't how he felt. The pain deepened. It was anything from okay.

"What about your sister? What happened to h-..." Jake started to ask. His voice cracked short as he saw Chance's calm expression crumble. Jake bit his lip, realizing he'd probably indefinitely possibly struck a nerve.

Chance could remember those days like it was yesterday. He wished the memory would go away.

_"Where are we gonna go now, Chance?" Angie asked, looking up at her older brother with wide light blue eyes. Chance rubbed his tired brown eyes and met Angie's gaze. He shook his head, too tired to reply. There were dark shadows under his eyes. He leaned against the car window, sighing heavily. Beside him Angie rested her head on his shoulder._

_Chance couldn't sleep. He was too tired for sleep. Besides, every bump or rut the car hit mashed his cheek against the glass. No, rest was apparently not an option. He started thinking...this was the third foster home so far. It wasn't easy for kats to take on a fifteen-year-old and a fourteen-year-old at once. _

_Angie wouldn't budge without her big brother. If anybody tried to separate them she would put up a fight. Finally the kats in charge of placing them gave up. Chance glanced at Angie, who was now fast asleep._

_She could be so spastic sometimes, but for good reason. Angie clutched his arm. Chance realized she was awake again._

_"Chance...I don't wanna move again." She pleaded. Before Chance could reply their driver spoke up._

_"Oh, but Ang', can I call you that? You're going to love the Mousermans." The dark-furred cat told them over his shoulder._

_"That's what you said about the Littersons..." Angie groaned, slumping down and leaning on her brother again and hearing his voice rumble in his chest as he added:_

_"And the Preytons." _

_"Guys, the Littersons don't count. You were there for only four hours." The driver replied. Chance knew why. Angie had gotten mad at for shouting at Chance and Angie had bitten him._

"Uh...Chance?" Jake asked. Chance stood up.

"Angie is...fine...I need to go..." He replied, his voice becoming hollow and constricted as he headed for the door. Oh why had he gone through that alley?

**Second chapter is finally complete. Sorry if it is difficult to follow. Trying to keep Chance from slipping OOC. Give advice, feedback, anything. It's energy-juice. :3 **


	3. Angie

The doorknob jiggled when Angie yanked the door open and walked into her apartment. Angie strode into the empty room and let her black bag tumble off her shoulder. It hit the carpet with a thump, contents spilling from it. She trudged into the bathroom and wiped her makeup off.

As she lowered the rag she met eye-to-eye with herself. She looked tired: bags beneath her pale blue eyes, her black hair a frizzy mess, her eyelids sagging. She took her crazed hair down from it's ponytail. It dropped to her shoulders. Angie shook her head and let her hair fly loose.

Through the corners of her eyes she spotted a flash of color. Her eyes flew to look at the small photograph pinned to the mirror. In the picture was herself standing with an arm around her brother's shoulders. They were head-level in height, smiling broadly at the camera. Her brother was smiling his trademark Cheshire cat grin.

Angie hadn't smiled all day up to this point. Now a small little grin perked up her features. Maybe she could see him again.

_I bet I'm taller than him now. _She thought. With that she walked out of the bathroom and flipped off the light.

Chance was torn from a deep sleep by the sharp peal of the alarm clock. A growl rumbled from the depths of his throat. He turned over, grabbed the cursed thing in his hand and crushed it. The beeping stopped short and Chance let it fall to the floor with a thud. Jake chose that second to walk in, his jaw falling open.

"Chance! What did you do to the clock?!" He asked, dropping to his knees and picking it up.

"Mm-mm..." Chance grunted, turned back onto his side facing the wall. Jake decided there was a call for slugging him and let him have it in the shoulder blade with everything he could.

"Hey! -Ow!" Chance retorted, turning over and shooting Jake a look. Jake shrugged, getting up.

"I spent two months repairing it, Chance. Two months!" He explained as he vacated the room. Chance climbed out of bed, growling under his breath like a sasquatch as he milled around the room. He'd no sooner slipped a blue shirt over his head when the doorbell on the far side of the garage rang. Chance bolted from the room, buckling his belt as he went.

"I'll get it!" He called to Jake. Jake sighed. If there was a remote probability that Callie would be waiting on the other side of that door, Chance would be there to open it and let her in.

Now Chance flung the door open and braced a hand against the inside of the doorway, shocked at who he saw.

"Angie...?!"

"Chance!" Angie exclaimed, having to tilt her head back to look up at him. So she was wrong about being taller. A stupid miscalculation. The two stared at each other awkwardly. Angie looked him up and down. Height-wise, she only came as high as just below his chest. Size-wise, she might as well have been a toothpick.

"Did you get taller...?" Was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

"Did you shrink?" Chance replied, playing along. Angie's good old smile showed up at long last. She bounded forward to hug him, not quite able to reach all the way around him.

"Is it really you?! I missed you so much! I thought about you everyday! I wanted to see you again so bad! I just had trouble with stuff piling up!" Angie was rambling on. Chance stared ahead, blinking in shock. First the daja-vu incident the day before and now his past was coming back to him in form of his younger half-sister.

"It's really me." He reassured her teasingly. Angie stepped back, looking at him admirably.

"How the heck did you find me?" Chance asked her.

"Simple. Just used the yellow pages." Angie explained with a wave of her hand. Chance laughed at that. Angie could track an albino kat in a blizzard.

"Hold on, there's someone I want you to meet." Chance told her.

"Jake! Jake, get your tail down here!" He called. The thud of feet on the stairs preceded Jake's entrance to the room. He stopped when he saw Angie, his eyes widening somewhat and his mouth opening halfway. He stared. Angie stared back.

"Jake, this is Angie. You remember, my sister?" Chance explained. Jake blinked, holding out a hand.

"Hey...the name's Clawson. Jake, I mean. Jake Clawson." He stuttered, taking her delicate hand in his and giving it a shake in salutation. Angie blushed a little, the blood-red hue taking over her pale, dimpled cheeks. Jake realized he was experiencing some mild blushing as well and quickly tried to subdue it before Chance saw it.

"Golly, it's nice to meet you, Jake..." Angie replied, somewhat caught up in his green eyes. Chance watched them, a brow arching in interrogatory wonderment. Jake and Angie were just gawking at each other, still clasping each other's hand. He cleared his throat over-dramatically.

Both of them looked at him, then down at their hands. At this they quickly retreated their hands behind their backs, laughing nervously.

"Would you like to step inside? We've got some six-packs of milk if Chance hasn't helped himself to them all already." Jake offered.

"Oh golly, that sounds grand, but I just stopped by to say hi. I have a meeting in fifteen minutes." Angie replied, using her slender fingers to sweep her black bangs out of her eyes.

"Oh really? Who do you work for?" Jake inquired.

"Oh! Not that kind of meeting. I'm actually out of work. I'm meeting a couple friends just to go over some house plans."

"Ah..." Jake nodded, clearly enamored of her. Chance sighed, giving the corner of the room an awkward side-ways glance.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a room-mate, Chance?" Angie asked.

"I uh..." Chance stammered.

"Oh, I bet you could step inside for just a little while and we can talk and y'know, get to know each other." Jake cut in. Angie grinned, stepping into the shop.

Chance closed the door with a heavy lump forming in his throat. Angie was back, that was great, but...was Jake head-over-heels for his little sis? Jake led Angie over to the sofa and let her sit down.

"Have a seat." He offered, going over to the fridge and opening the door. He pulled out two cans of milk and gave one to Angie. Chance walked in as Jake sank onto the second cushion beside Angie. Chance pulled up a wooden chair and slumped into it.

"So, how long have you been working here?" Angie asked Jake.

"Well, let's see...almost two years." Jake replied.

"Wow! Golly, that sounds like you know a lot about fixing cars. Right? I bet you could fix anything."

"Well, yeah...probably." Jake admitted. Chance rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, he learned from the master." He put in. Angie smiled at him.

"And gosh, Chance, you've changed so much!" She stated, scooting over to him and putting a free hand on his arm.

"Is all of that muscle?" she teased.

"I've...been pumping iron lately." Chance replied, resting his cheek in his hand. It was so good to finally be acknowledged.

"But you're still the chubby big brother I grew up with." Angie stated, smiling broadly. On the other side of the spectrum, Chance's smile drooped. That was embarrassing.

"I'm not chubby. It's muscle. I swear." He replied, feeling his cheeks flush bright red. Jake laughed.

"That's what they all say, Chance." He explained, taking a swig of milk. Chance looked at the floor, blinking rapidly. This was a disaster. Angie just giggled, casually smacking his arm to imply that she meant no harm.

"Hey, chubby-cheeks. Don't take it to heart. We're only kidding!"

Chance got up and walked out, a scowl on his face. Sure they were kidding. Jake could hang out with his new love interest all he wanted. Chance didn't feel obliged to take on the role of 'third wheel'. He stormed up the stairs and down the hall, slamming the bedroom door in disgust.

Alone in the room he sank gruffly onto his bed and scoffed. The first time in years that he encountered his only family member and it had to go down like this. He yanked open the top drawer of his bedside table, the contents sliding around loosely inside. Gently he drew a photo from the contents and examined it. His heart clenched. There he was, about ten years ago, standing beside Angie who had been several inches taller at the time. Beside both of them was a tall, slim she-kat with coal black hair.

He bit his lip and stuffed the photo back into the drawer, slamming it shut. She had been his adopted mother, but she was the one he remembered. It hurt like agony. Now someone was knocking on the door. Chance lifted his head, fighting back the urge to crawl under the blankets and bawl. He stood up, sucked in a deep breath of musty auto-shop air and went to open the door.

Angie was standing in the hall when it opened. She gazed up at Chance with wide blue eyes. Chance's scowl deepened.

"What?" He snapped.

"I'm sorry about that, Chance. I forgot about..." Angie began. Chance knew what she was trying to say: That he offended easily, that he was sensitive. He was about to shut the door in her face.

"Chance, things will never be the way they were when we were kids, but I just wanted to have that again..." Angie explained. Her pale blue eyes were shining and naive. Chance's eyes stared at the floor.

"Of the both of us, you took losing mom the hardest. I know it looks like I did, but...well…you were the one that mugger hurt." Angie went on. She looked Chance in the eye and Chance looked away.

"Why are you bringing this up? I told you I wanted to forget about it." Chance replied, his voice becoming higher as tears choked his throat.

"Because..." Angie spoke slowly and hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"I miss you."

Chance's made-of-stone expression twisted into a contorted grimace as his lip shuddered. He wanted to shut the door and her with it. He wanted to forget it all, but it was here and in his face, staring up at him with those big blue eyes.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. She had grown. She wasn't a straight-as-a-stick little pre-teen anymore. She was a woman, a she-kat with friends, enemies, and no one to lean on but him. He couldn't hear her laugh the way it used to sound, or her high-pitched happy voice. Her voice was deeper, beaten into maturity by hardship.

"I miss you too..." He replied in a low voice, his words trembling. Angie sprung to wrap her thin bird-like body around his. She nuzzled against him the way she'd done when she was little. He was still soft, no matter how much they tried to beat him. Soft...like a pillow.

It was awkward after all these years, but Chance didn't care.

**Kinda discouraged by the lack of reviews and ect for this story. But as long as you're reading, I'll keep writing. Please let me know what you think of this story so far. **


	4. Callie Calls For Help

"Are you alright?" Jake's interrogatory tone dragged Chance back to reality as he watched Angie's car drive out of sight. Chance turned to him. Jake's brow was raised. There was concern in his eyes.

Chance gave a slow nod, turning around and marching back to the garage, his tail dragging in the dirt. Jake followed behind him, watching him with confusion circling in his head.

Chance stepped into the waiting room and reached for the fridge door when Jake stepped in the way. Jake looked him in the eye. He saw pain, emptiness, and something that he usually never saw in his friend's laid-back personality: Self-rebuke.

He was sure that was what it was. He had seen it in his own eyes when he was a teenager in high school, rejected by everyone because he didn't fit in. They had thought he was a screw-up because of his mistakes. He had believed them.

"Buddy, talk to me. This isn't you." He begged. Chance muffled a shaky sigh, huffing in a sort of half-hearted sob. He turned away and started for the door. Jake grabbed his arm in both hands.

"Is it because I...I was...I was talking to your sister?" He asked.

"No." Chance croaked, yanking his arm back.

"Leave me alone." He grouched. He dropped onto the sofa, staring painfully at the wall. Jake hesiated. Then he stepped over to the sofa and sidled into the seat beside Chance. He folded his hands, leaning over his lap to match Chance. He glanced up at him, then back at the floor.

"I know it must hurt, Chance, but...I've got your back in this. We're partners. I'm your REO." He whispered. He heard a watery breath and felt Chance shift on the sofa. Jake lifted his head again, looking at Chance and the tears that glistened in his hazel eyes.

"I can't protect you...I'm not enough." Chance replied almost indistinctly. Jake blinked.

"What do you mean, buddy? You've saved my bacon a dozen times! You're not perfect, I'll grant that, but you try hard. That's what matters."

"Not strong enough to save her...not strong enough to stop him from killing her...I just couldn't stop him...I was too stupid to know-!"

"-You're not _stupid_, Chance! Stop telling yourself that!" Jake snapped, cutting him off.

"You don't get it, Jake! You weren't there when he cut her down! There was nothing I could do!" Chance shouted. Jake bit his lip, pausing to think of a way to respond.

"Then why blame yourself?"

Chance winced at that. He knew how to reply. The answer was bleeding like an open wound into his skull.

"Cause..." He heard the word slip out.

"I wasn't the son she wanted me to be...I know it." He managed. Jake knew there was more. He waited quietly for Chance to gather his bearings. Chance drew a shaggy breath and went on.

"Everything she told me to do...she was just trying to help me, but all I ever did was t-...tell her where to get off...I called her stuff behind her back that...I think she might have heard...I just...I know she thought I was a monster...and to rub some salt into the wound, I wasn't even her real son! She was the reason I'm even alive now! She saved my life and this is how I pay her back! By letting her die! Treating her like dirt! Letting some mugger kill her!"

Jake listened. He'd never heard Chance open up like this before. It didn't seem like him at all.

"Chance..." Jake rocked in his seat a few times.

"Mothers...they're kind of...built for that sort of thing...no matter how you are, they'll stick with you no matter what...That's why they're called 'mothers'. Their job is to be there to bring you up and...love you no matter what." He explained. He realized Chance was crying beside him, trying to be quiet. Jake put his hand on Chance's own and gave it a squeeze.

"She loved you, Chance." He stated. Chance didn't respond, gripping his hand into a fist beneath Jake's palm. He clenched his teeth tightly together as streams of tears ran down his cheeks. Jake sat quickly and let his friend break down. There was nothing he could do otherwise.

"Stop blaming yourself, buddy." He said finally. He got up and left the room, leaving Chance in silence.

The phone was ringing when Chance opened his eyes roughly four hours later. He picked himself up off the sofa and dragged himself across the room to the phone, speaking groggily into the reciever.

"Chance and Jake's garage...*yawn* Can I help you?"

"Hey, Chance. It's Callie. My car cracked up on the side of some back-road and I think I'm lost." Callie's sweet-like-honey voice brightened Chance's downed spirits.

"I'll be there before you know it, Miss Briggs." Chance replied, hanging up and striding out to the tow truck. As he pulled the driver-side door open Jake spoke up.

"Where are you going?"

"Callie's stuck somewhere in no-man's land. I'm gonna go see if I can help her out." Chance responded promptly as he hoisted himself into the truck and shut the door. He fired it up and drove like a bullet away from the garage.

As he drove out onto the rough country road he picked up the phone installed to the dash board.

"Where are you, Miss Briggs? Describe it to me." He requested.

"Um...well, there's an old red barn hidden in some trees nearby. There's a damaged gaurdrail beside the road, and a faded wooden sign that says 'Grape Acres'." Callie explained.

"Did you get the road name?" Chance asked.

"No. I didn't. I don't know how far it is to the next roadsign either."

"Hmm...alright. Hang in there. I _will_ find you." Chance responded. As he was speaking he caught sight of something peculiar off to the right. He glanced briefly over to it and in a flash he saw a kat lunge at another, much smaller kat. It wasn't so much that action that made Chance slam on the brakes. It was the bright flash of light reflecting off the pointed edge of a something menacing. A knife.

He would know. He pulled the truck over and threw the door open, grabbing the first heavy object he could get his hands on: A crowbar. At the scene the grey tom, dressed in a dark blue jacket and torn black jeans had a small she-kat by the collar of her jacket.

"Give it to me! Now!" The kat growled, flashing the knife into the light.

"You got it!" Chance cut in, swinging the crowbar like a club and hitting the grey tom directly to the head. The tom staggered back, gasping painfully. He gripped his knife as his vision swayed. He narrowed his eyes at Chance. Chance glared back, helping the she-kat to her feet.

"You okay, ma'am?" He asked. The she-kat nodded. The tom stood up, snarling. With an angry scream he ran at Chance.

"Get in the tow-truck! You'll be safe! Go, get outta here!" Chance shouted to the she-kat in a blur. The blonde she-kat ran fast and hard towards the truck and scrambled inside. Chance glanced back to make sure she was okay. While his face was turned the tom lunged. Chance turned around in time to stop the knife from making contact with his body.

He pushed back with the crowbar, causing the tom to stagger back. Chance suddenly felt a daja vu wash over him. The tom before him had a cruel face, marred with old scars. He was ragged and older, but Chance suddenly knew who this kat was. It sent chills down his spine.

"You...!" He gasped. The tom's faded green eyes widened.

"I know you...You're that brat I taught I lesson to all those years ago. Looks like I'll have to teach it to you again!" The tom exclaimed.

"Go ahead and try it! You took someone away from me...and I'm not about to let that go!" Chance shouted back. The tom glared feircely at Chance. Chance braced himself. The tom charged and Chance realized he was reliving that nightmare all over again.

**Chance is going to have to fight for his life. Think this story is progressing too quickly? Let me know. Like it? Tell me. Don't like it? Tell me why but without dissing me in doing it. No flames, ect, blah, blah, I burn back, blah**


	5. The Fight

The tom's first blow was precise. Chance had to move fast on all reflexes to dodge it. The tom's white knuckles barely clipped Chance's shoulder. Chance retaliated with a blow of his own, hitting the gray tom in the jaw. A crack sounded as the scarred tom was flung backwards. Shockingly he stayed on his feet.

The tom was reckless and aggressive. He came right back at Chance again, claws drawn, slicing right and left through the air like a scythe. Chance stepped back from the blows, ducking out of the way. The right hand swung his way. He ducked all too slowly.

Like a knife through butter the tom's jagged black claws shredded through Chance's sleeve, tearing three bloody strikes across his shoulder. Chance hissed, a hand grasping his shoulder firmly. The tom growled and lunged. Chance's eyes widened. Quickly he tucked and rolled underneath the tom, scrambling to his feet and turning abruptly to take a swing at the tom.

His wrist came down perfectly into the tom's palm and was grasped there tightly. In an action faster than a heartbeat the tom wrenched Chance towards him. Chance jerked to the left as the knife plunged past him, ripping through his shirt but only slightly cutting his skin.

Chance grabbed the tom's arm with his other hand and used both arms to sling the tom over his head and body-slam him onto the ground. The tom rose up, wheezing breathlessly.

"You...you got stronger. I admit...but it won't...save you..." The tom panted, laughing maniacally. Chance glared at him.

"Stop laughing you con. If you're so slick, why don't you show me?" He growled.

"Oh I will...when your blood runs in rivers, mingling with your mother's. I will have shown you plenty!" The tom sneered.

"Before I send you back to the slime hole you climbed out of, tell me one thing: Why are you so bent on wiping us out?" Chance asked coldly. The tom just broke into uncontrolled fits of insane laughter.

"Because, I don't like you." He replied in a cruel sing-song voice. Chance's brow raised. This guy had lost it. Or he never had it.

"Well that's mutual." Chance hissed, clenching his fists. The tom's scowl returned.

"Time to end this. Time to end _you_!" He shouted, gripping his fists together. He charged at Chance. Chance moved aside and got around behind him. He wrapped an arm tightly around the tom's neck and clenched. The tom gasped, veering around in the arm lock.

He flipped Chance's arm over his head and grabbed it, darting forward. Chance's breath caught in his throat as the knife came out of nowhere and jammed into him. The tom snorted, grinning as he drove the blade to the hilt. Chance froze stiff, eyes wide. He gasped in shock. The tom gave a sharp yell of anger and wrenched the blade out of him. Chance flinched, staggering back against the fence as his legs buckled beneath him. His hand clasped the crimson red wound tightly as blood oozed from beneath his palm.

He shuddered as the pain shot from his waist to his shoulders. The tom snickered.

"You're finished..." He dropped the knife, point down, into the dirt and walked away. Chance watched him through a grimace. He tried stepping forward, pain stinging him fiercely. He stumbled, regained his footing, and limped towards the knife, an arm clenching his wound. Shakily he scooped the knife up out of the dirt, watching the back of the rogue tom.

Soundlessly he staggered up to him from behind, gripping the knife in one hand and his injured side in the other. The tom never saw it coming. Chance moved swiftly, wheeling the tom around and slamming him into the door of the tow truck.

The tom's face was ridden with horror. He gasped, fear in his eyes.

"Don't kill me! You don't have it in you! Don't! I'll pay you anything! What do you want!" He yelped.

"I'd ask for my mother back, but you're too low to pull off something like that...aren't you? This is for her!" Chance growled, plunging the knife into the tom's chest. The tom stiffened, fell limp, and collapsed, the handle of the knife jutting from his body. Chance's limbs felt cold. He'd killed somebody. What would Angie think? Or Jake?

Suddenly the world did a 180 at 90 mph and Chance felt the ground drop out from under him. Everything went dead: His mind, his senses, his consciousness.

All of a sudden all he could hear was his mother screaming his name. It echoed in his head. He opened his eyes. Beside him was a familiar face.

"A-angie...h-...what are you doin here...?" He groaned, his voice weak. He was dizzy from blood-loss. His vision rippled like water.

"Easy, Chance." Jake's voice sounded. He came into view.

"A she-kat called 911 and said there were two kats dead by the side of the road somewhere. Said her name was...Callie." Angie stated.

"Two kats...?" Chance was confused. What happened to the she-kat he'd tried to protect? Had she been killed?

"She meant you, Chance." Jake cleared things up.

"When you didn't come for a long time I started to worry that you were lost so I decided to walk to see if I could find you, and I guess, in a way I did." Callie stated.

"W-where am I...?"

"MK hospital." Jake replied.

"Does this happen to you on a regular basis?" Angie teased. Chance chuckled a little at that.

"Well...it shouldn't happen anymore..." He muttered assuredly.

"Enough with the twenty-questions." Jake cut in, "We're all just glad to have you back, buddy."

To that Chance managed a faint laugh and responded, "Glad to be back."

Silence fell over the room like a sheet. Jake shoved his hands deep into his pockets, Callie rocked back and forth heel-toe, and Angie twirled a strand of her short black hair around her finger and stared into space. Finally Chance broke the silence.

"When will they let me leave?" He asked. Jake scrunched his brows together thoughtfully.

"I think the doc said he wanted to keep you here for a few weeks. At least until you're stable enough." He replied, then added with a teasing smirk, "I don't think he trusts that you'll stay out of trouble long enough for it to heal."

"He may be right." Chance admitted lightheartedly. Angie stood up from the stool she was perched on and stretched.

"I'll see ya later, Chance. I've gotta get home and water my house plants." She stated. Jake's eyes glimmered.

"Oh here! Let me get the door." He offered. Their voices faded as they left the room and proceeded down the hall, chatting on and on. That left Callie alone with Chance. Or vise versa. Either way, Chance spotted a window of opportunity that was gradually widening. Callie was quiet, gently stroking Chance's arm.

"That was...really brave of you, Chance. Saving that she-kat like that." She whispered, unable to meet his eyes. Chance felt himself blushing and looked the other way.

"Well...I guess." He sighed, smiling sheepishly. Callie took his hand and held it in both of her own.

"W-when you are released...I-I was wondering...maybe, if you're not too busy..." She stammered. Chance looked back and met her gaze. Nervously Callie glanced down at the mattress.

"Yes." Chance replied. Callie lifted her face.

"You haven't even heard what I'm going to-..."

"-I know. I know." Chance responded, nodding.

"I'd be happy to fix your car, Miss Briggs." He went on. Callie blushed.

"Oh, Chance, that's...great. But that's not what I meant." She sighed nervously.

"Oh yeah?" Chance grinned. Callie laughed a little.

"Will you...I don't know...meet me somewhere...?" She stammered.

"And...?" Chance urged, raising a brow.

"And...can we...go out together?" Callie asked finally. Chance took her hand.

"Sure thing," He replied, "Callie."

**Tell me what you think. Review, fav, follow, be awesome. Thank-you. **


	6. Monsters and Nightmares

They say hospital rooms are quiet and lonely at night, and maybe that's the case. But Chance's occupied room was kept awake with an occasional frightened murmur. The old phrase was 'Sleep well', but that wasn't the kind of rest Chance received. He tossed and turned in his sleep as the horrible nightmare frothed in his mind and a storm raged outside.

"No...!...No...n..." He was muttering, a hand switched in his sleep. He turned onto his side, clenching his teeth as sweat dripped down his face. In his mind he saw the flash of the blood-stained knife. He could hear the tom kat's evil roaring laugh like thunder.

His breathing hastened it's pace. At last his blood ran cold as he heard his mother scream. He returned to his conscious state, eyes shot open wide as he sat upright in the hospital bed. His lungs heaved like two bellows as he realized he was trembling.

He slumped back against the pillow, sighing as he tried to slow his breathing down. Soon sleep was again upon him. Through the warm blackness of sleep came a blood-curdling voice.

"I'm not dead..." Chance's eyes shot open wide, his whole body shuddering with every breath. This wasn't real. _Please, tell me it isn't real! _Suddenly he wished he wasn't alone. Suddenly he longed to be back at the garage, in the single bedroom he shared with Jake. Suddenly he ached to be able to call across the room to him and just talk.

"Jake..." He whispered, lungs burning from torment. Silence whispered back. _You're alone, alone in the dark! And there's no one to save you. The scarred murderer will creep into your room. He will sneak up to your bedside. He will kill you, and there will be not a soul that will hear you scream!_

Chance threw the blankets over his head, shaking. It was too warm to be beneath the blankets, but Chance stayed under them until he was drenched in sweat. For the first time in a long time he felt like a kitten, scared to move.

The painkiller wore off in the morning. Chance discovered this when he opened his eyes and tried to sit up. With a grimace he sunk back down onto the pillow, clenching his teeth together tightly against the pain.

"You're awake!" A voice exclaimed. It rang in Chance's ears loudly. _Crud, Angie. Tone it down..._

Suddenly a heavy body plopped onto the side of the bed. Chance winced as the bed shook like a boat on the high seas.

"Angie, watch it!" He pleaded through a grimace.

"Sorry...!" Angie apologized.

"Hey, you know what? What I heard? Golly, gee! I don't believe it!" She exclaimed.

"Don't believe what?" Chance grumbled, wincing.

"I can't believe you asked the Deputy Mayor out on a date!" Angie shouted. Chance moaned and put the pillow over his head.

"I thought she wasn't into you, but golly! She really likes you now!" Angie was saying as Callie came into the room.

"Who does?" She asked. Angie looked over her shoulder, black hair swinging.

"You do."

Callie's cheeks reddened as she neared the bed. Chance took the pillow off his face.

"Why of all kats did you tell Angie?!" He asked Callie. Callie shook her head.

"She dragged the truth out of me when I came to the garage last night." She stated.

"Hey, if somebody comes into the room singing 'So This Is Love' from *Katderella, I have to ask questions." Angie replied simply. Chance blushed. Callie really _was_ into him. _Why did I have to nearly die for her to realize that?_ He excused that thought.

"I just came to set up time arrangements, see how you're doing, and keep Angie from pummeling you." Callie replied.

"I bet she wants to kiss you..." Angie whispered loudly.

"What?" Callie gasped.

"Angie, scat!" Chance told his pesky sister. Angie stood up and turned to go.

"Chance and Callie, sittin in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" She sang.

"Oh great! Real mature, Ange!" Chance called.

"Take care, big guy." Angie shut the door. Chance glanced up at Callie nervously. Callie couldn't meet his gaze. Her face was cherry.

"They're letting you go at five tonight. Want me to...meet you here?" She asked. Chance nodded, his voice not working.

"I..." Callie began, "I suppose...Angie was..."

"I know, I know. She's a pill. She just jokes, you know...siblings..." Chance stammered.

"I-I meant...maybe she was...right, about me..." Callie murmured.

"About what?" Chance raised a brow.

"Wanting to..." Callie blushed harder, laughing a little.

"It's crazy, isn't it? I just all of a sudden ask you out of the blue if you want to go out with me and not even thinking it through and now I really want to kiss you..." She blurted.

"I like crazy..." Chance replied, smirking.

"I know, but...you're..." Callie began. Chance's confident smirk faded.

"You seem so quiet. I wouldn't want to break you out of your comfort zone." Callie replied.

"You don't know the real me." Chance chuckled.

"Can I see the real you...?" Callie requested. Chance blinked.

"Uhh..."

"Tonight, five-thirty. I'll be here." Callie told him.

There's not much to do other than to sleep and watch tv when you're stuck in bed in a hospital. Chance chose to sleep, but it was only full of nightmares. This time he saw himself, knife in his hand, towering over the gray tom. The tom's eyes were wide in fear. There was a sinister grin on Chance's face in his dream that made him shudder. This wasn't him! He didn't kill anybody, no matter how cruel they'd been.

He saw himself swing the knife down towards the gray tom. Chance's breath caught in his throat. In the place of the gray tom was himself. He tried to look away but he couldn't. He screamed, trying to stop himself.

Then he heard a familiar voice that made his blood chill. It was his mother. It was faint at first, but slowly he understood it.

'My son...a monster...a killer. A monster..." Chance saw himself throw the knife away. He saw his whole body turn blood red and wash away. Then Callie's voice replaced the former voice.

"Chance...why would you do this? I thought we could be together, but...I can't love a...-" Her voice faded out.

"NO!" Chance screamed at the top of his lungs as he sprang upright in bed. It was daylight. At least he wasn't in pain. He fell back on the pillow, clutching his face with both hands.

In a voice as quiet and faint as a whisper he finished Callie's sentence: "Monster..."

**If you wanna comment or give feedback please do. If there's something you like or don't, let me know. **

***Katderella: A play on Cinderella**


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